


Hogwarts vs. Ilvermorny

by Aemeth



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Ilvermorny, F/F, Hogwarts, Ilvermorny, Quidditch, both!, elder gays Mary and Shannon, yes that's right - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aemeth/pseuds/Aemeth
Summary: “Her accent. Did you hear her accent?!”“Ava, they're British, they will all sound like that.”--------------------------------------------------After disastrous Triwizard tournaments in Europe, Hogwarts and Ilvermorny decide there must be a better way to forge friendly exchange between their students and put on a Qudditch game between their schools. Love and drama ensue.
Relationships: Shotgun Mary/Shannon Masters, Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 106
Kudos: 467





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, this all started when I mused what house Ava would be in and then suddenly I cooked up a really interesting Ilvermorny Au story for her for hours and this happened :D Hope you'll enjoy!

It had taken the great wizardry schools of Hogwarts and Ilvermorny only about a century to realize that there were other means of encouraging international student relations apart from deadly tournaments featuring dragons and disintegration. And so it came that one golden, cold September morning the students of Ilvermorny crowded together on the spires of their castle to look out for the “second British invasion” as Lilith had put it.

The British Hogwarts students who were coming all the way from Scotland to compete against them in a friendly Quidditch match.

Of course how 'friendly' it all would be depended on whom you asked.

Lilith and Mary, the other Wampus of their little group, were now standing tall and grim together, watching the sky like two generals would a battlefield.

Mary softened a bit when her girlfriend, the gentle Shannon from house Horned Serpent, put a hand on her shoulder, while Ava exploded from the crowd to the front, throwing herself over the brink of the spires excitedly – Marry rolled her eyes in fondness and grabbed the hood of her blue and cranberry robe from behind, just to make sure that the happy Thunderbird wouldn't fall to her death before she could even meet the competition. Ava was a gifted seeker but Mary sometimes swore she forgot that she didn't have a broom beneath her at all times.

“How do you think they will arrive?” Ava asked eagerly, her lively eyes darting through the mist of Mount Greylock.

“They say Hogwarts has a train,” Shannon answered, putting a hand on Ava's robe as well, just to be sure.

“Pff, that's stupid – how is that supposed to leave Europe?”

Lilith regal features turned to a dangerous smile. “I think the royalties of Great Britain never assumed they would have to grace us poor Americans with their presence, Ava.”  
Shannon sighed. “Stop it, you two. This is not going to be a Triwizard tournament, just a friendly Quidditch game between schools!”

“Yes”, Mary agreed, squeezing her girlfriend. “And we will kick their British butts in friendship.”

  
Before Shannon could answer to that, they were disrupted by a yelp from Ava.

“Here they come!”

And all of Ilvermorny awed, as black carriages cut through the golden mist, pulled by magnificent creatures... “Hippogriffs”, Shannon whispered in awe. “They're beautiful.”

Ava couldn't take her eyes of the creatures. The intelligent eagle eyes, their strong griffin body – a huge smile spread over her lips and she leaned over further to see them better, when she was janked back from both Mary and Shannon. She turned around smiling happily.

“Thank you, guys! Sorry, got a bit excited there.”

Shannon smiled warmly while Mary huffed, but Ava knew her long enough now to know that it was a loving huff. After all it had been Mary who had protected and taken her under her wing when Ava had not a soul in the world when she arrived late to Ilvermorny. And the older girl could huff and puff all she wanted but Ava knew that she loved her. Just like she loved her back.

But her musings were interrupted when suddenly everyone was rushing to get to the landing platforms and she was quick to push herself to the front, the others following.

The piasa dragons who were napping on the platforms stirred grumpily when all of the school suddenly trampled onto their sanctum. It was a comical sight as the wild uncontrolled mass of students suddenly formed into a dutiful curve around them, since in all their excitement none of them wanted to anger a piasa today. So humans and piasas alike looked on as the carriages landed, the Hippogriffs spreading their wings in an elegant gliding flight, bringing the carriages down gently.

Their superion strutted forwards, her stick clicking on the rough stone of the mountain, the other teachers following her in a beeline. They came to halt in front of the largest carriage and waited. Then the door opened and an old woman with a stern face and flowing emerald green robes emerged.

“Is she seriously wearing a _pointy hat_?” Mary asked with a smirk and Shannon boxed her in the shoulder.

“Shush! That's Minerva McGonagall, one of the heroes of the great war herself. She's a legend!”

“That pointy head sure is legendary stuff.”

Ava took in the supposedly legendary figure with great curiosity. She was still learning her wizards history after only having discovered that she was a witch at age fourteen – but the woman sure looked like someone from an European legend.

“Well she looks like Mother Superion has found serious competition in who is the baddest bitch around here,” she contributed cheekily and Mary laughed. Still grinning Ava returned her gaze to the carriage... just for her jaw to hit the floor.

Behind Hogwarts's headmistress, a girl had emerged... a girl that was drop dead gorgeous. Despite of her age she radiated a calmness and maturity that seemed to swap like a wave all the way from the carriage over Ava. Her posture was immaculate. Her black and blue robes were impeccable. Her black hair was tied back into the strictest bun Ava had ever seen on someone her age. But her dark eyes, the crown jewels in a perfect face, shone kindly. Ava could spot kindness from a mile away and these eyes were so full of it, she swore she could feel it.

Ava flinched when Minerva McGonagall greeted her superion and called her back to the land of the living.

“Teresa. Such a pleasure to see you again.”

Ava boxed into Lilith's side, enraptured.

“She has a Scottish accent!”

Lilith shugged. “Accent? I'd say that's a different language.”

“Minerva,” the Superion answered calmly but respectfully. “It's always an honor.”

Then Minerva McGonagall extended an arm behind her and pulled the girl in black and blue robes next to her.

“This is our head girl, Beatrice Winston. She has also earned the distinction of being the Captain of Hogwarts' first all school Quidditch team.”

Beatrice stepped forward and honest to Merlin _bowed_ her head. “It is an honour meeting you, Mother Superion,” she said politely. Her words were like smooth marbles, beading from her full lips in beautiful sound waves.

Ava grasped Mary's arm, needing to hold onto something.

“Her accent. Did you hear her _accent_?!”

“Ava, they're British, they will all sound like that,” Lilith lectured impatiently.

“Yeah,” Marry agreed. “And didn't you hear? She's their Captain! She's our competish.”

“Oh.” Ava's happy face fell. That little detail had been overshadowed in her mind by the bewitching accent. And the face. And well, you get the gist. Determined she also grabbed Shannon's arm with her other hand. “She got nothing on Captain Shannon here. I still can't believe we will all play on a team together, guys!”

It was a dream come true really. Shannon, the Horned Serpent's Keeper and Captain had been chosen to be their school team's Captain, while Mary, the school's best chaser, had basically won the first chaser position without question. Lilith, her team mate,would be one of the Beaters and Ava would sleep much less fearful now that she was on her team for once. And she herself, to the dismay of some, had been chosen as the school's Seeker. Ava still beamed with pride whenever she thought of it. No one, including herself would have thought a year ago that it would be her winning this honor. But here she was!

Shannon put an arm around her, sharing in her happiness.

“We're going to do very well. But let's not underestimate them. They will have chosen their team as carefully as we have.”

Other professors emerged from the carriages, each looking more European and old fashioned than the next. And of course also the students pooled out and Ava let her eyes wonder over them curiously, wondering who of them were their chosen Quidditch players.

But, magnetically, her gaze would be drawn back to Head girl Beatrice, standing royally next to the Hogwarts staff, with her hands folded neatly before her.

***

Ava was still staring at those hands when they were all seated for dinner in Commons, after long and boring speeches. While the Ilvermorny students as always were seated without strict preference of their houses, it seemed things in Hogwarts were much stricter. By the colors that lined the black robes of the Hogwarts students it seemed they sat exclusively in groups of their houses, which seemed ridiculous. And sad, since Beatrice's group was seated at a table far far away from Ava's. So naturally Ava was craning her neck to get a good look at her. She felt it was her duty. After all she was, as Mary had put it, the competish. And what a revelation it was to check out said competish. While the other Hogwarts students ate with the same reckless abandon as the Ilvermorny students, Beatrice ate with the table manners of a queen. Her fingers, as Ava had completely involuntarily noted, were long and elegant, but also strong and secure in each careful movement. Lilith followed her mystified gaze and shook her head.

“I still can't get over how she came out of these carriages like a teacher. _Head girl_ , can you believe? Not elected like me but chosen by their _professors_. Unbelievable.”

Ava grinned. “Admit it your presidency, if the student president here was treated like that, you would it eat it up!”

“I would not!”

Ava just laughed good naturally, but was distracted again as Beatrice had taken a carafe and with ritual care started to pour herself some water.

In wonder, Ava unconsciously tried to imitate the elegant movement of Beatrice as she filled her own cup... and promptly spilled pumpkin juice onto Lilith's arm.

“Ava!”

“Sorry, sorry! I was distracted.” Ava was quick to pull out her wand and pointed it at Lilith's soaked sleeve. Ava took a deep breath and then murmured: “ _Excoquatur_!”

The liquid flew from Lilith's sleeve and hovered in the air. Ava grinned. “See? No sweat!”

But sudden worried murmurs around them made her look down at her wand again. Instead of dissipating, like it was supposed to, the pumpkin juice had shrunken together to a tight ball – before it suddenly flew over their table with the force of a catapulted projectile and landed straight in the face of a Hogwarts guy with oily hair. The students gasped.

Ava was horrified.

“I'm sorry!” she shouted and jumped up from her table, quickly crossing the distance over to the boy. “It wasn't on purpose! I just tried to clean the mess from my friend, I didn't mean to hit you.”

The boy sputtered and blindly reached for a napkin, looking up at her with a sneer.

“What are you, eleven?” he hissed. “Messing up a simple cleaning spell like a first grader?”  
Ava shrunk back as if he had hit her. All color drained from her face and her hands started shaking.

Hesitating, she opened her mouth, but before she could studder another apology, Mary appeared next to her, putting her warm arm comfortingly around Ava.

“Calm down, dude, it was a simple mistake,” Marry said languidly, but with a dangerous hint in her tone. “Can happen to the best. If the spell's so easy, I'm sure a big boy like you will have no problem to get that shit off your face and we can all return to having dinner. All good?”

The boy sputtered again indignantly and pointed his wand at his face, repeating the same spell as Ava had used. Only that this time the pumpkin juice dissipated in no time. Ava's shoulders sunk.

They boy sleeked his greasy hair back and looked at her like she was an insect.

“That's a first year spell, you moron. I've never even seen a first year mess this up.”

Mary's arm around Ava tightened and she made a protective step before her. By now their scene was starting to draw more and more attention, as was evident by the multitude of stares Ava was feeling on her; once again.

“Listen, you asshole,” Marry spat. “The juice is gone and your hair is back to all it's greasy glory. Ava here just happens to be the chosen Seeker of the Ilvermorny Quidditch team – so I suggest you treat her with respect. And now be the gentleman you British boys are supposed to be and let us all go back to our meals.”  
The boy just appraised Ava with an ugly laugh.

“That's your Seeker? A girl who can't even do a simple spell right?”

Ava felt tears spring to her eyes.

All civility dropped from Mary's face and she lunged forward.

“Listen, you little fucktard-”

“Excuse me,”a melodious voice interrupted her.

All of them turned around to the Hogwarts head girl herself. Ava briefly closed her eyes. Of course. Of fucking course she would embarrass herself and her school the first evening of their guests and the beautiful head girl would notice. Of fucking course.

Beatrice appeared as calm as she had been all evening but there was something dangerous about her now. She walked into their midst and to Ava's horror, she came to halt right in front of her.

“What's your name?”she asked kindly. Her steely eyes regained some of the gentleness that had been there before and Ava swallowed, trying to force back her tears.

“Ava,” she whispered hoarsely.

A tiny smile bloomed on Beatrice's face and she nodded her head at her.

“Hello Ava. I'm Beatrice, Head Girl of Hogwarts.”

Ava blinked. “I know.” _You idiot._

Mary stepped right between them before Ava could do anything more embarrassing.

“Well good, then I suggest you tell your little prissy here that he should get over his hissy fit -”

Beatrice rose a calming hand and turned to the boy in question.

“Angus? From what I saw what happened here was just an unfortunate accident and no damage has been done. I also heard that Ava apologized to you. Is it your understanding that she directed the spell on you on purpose?”

Angus the jerk blinked.

“Well no, but messing up a spell that -”

“ _Are_ you saying that you think Ava directed the spell on you on purpose?” Beatrice repeated, this time with an intensity that was not aggressive but demanding absolute respect. By now seemingly all of the hall was looking at them.

Angus pressed his lips together.

“No,” he finally mumbled.

Beatrice nodded. “Then, I believe you should apologize to Ava for the unnecessary language you used.”

Angus' mouth dropped open, as did Ava's. Mary's eyebrows shot up in respect.

Angus looked like Beatrice had told him to eat a beetle.

“But I-”

“Do I really need to take fifty points from Slytherin while you're not even home?”

“Fifty points?!”

“Do I?”

Angus swallowed like he had poison in his mouth.

“I'm sorry”, he said monotonously, without looking at Ava.

Beatrice looked at her questioningly and wow, these eyes. Ava couldn't even process everything that was happening.

“Um, sure. It's cool.”

Beatrice smiled gratefully. “I'm glad we could resolve this. I am sure we will meet again, Ava; as I hear we will compete in the game on Saturday?”

Ava just stared at her, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Um...”

Mary threw her a questioning look and Ava quickly looked down.

Beatrice smiled again and turned to Mary. “And I believe you are one of Ilvermorny's chasers? Mary Turner?” Mary was obviously somewhere between respect and suspicion. “Yeah, that's me,” she finally decided on, shaking the British girl's hand warily. "And you position is?"

"I'm Ava's counterpart," Beatrice answered serenly.

Ava's eyes widened as _that_ quaffle dropped.

“Wait, you're the Hogwarts Seeker?”

Beatrice did her bow thing again, but this time somehow sort of with her eyes.

“Yes. I heard that you are a gifted seeker as well. I look forward to our match together, I am sure we can all learn a lot from each other. But please, I'm sorry for this commotion, I should leave you to your dinner.” And with another polite nod and the hint of a smile for Ava, she turned and calmly walked back to her table.

Mary and Ava were both looking after her, as was the rest of Ilvermorny. Mary arched an eyebrow again, as a concerned Shannon joined them and put a hand on Ava's arm.

“Well, shit,” Mary ruled dryly.

Ava, whose heart had become heavy when she had learned that Beatrice had heard of her, nodded shakily.

“Shit,” she agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

The Ilvermorny Quidditch pitch lay nestled between two peaks of the Birkshire Mountains. Always encased in golden mist Ava had fallen in love with the landscape the moment she had set sight on it and still came here often to be alone with her thoughts and taking in the sun. But today there was no time to bask in the magical scenery- they were on a mission.

Mary, Shannon and Lilith were already perched on a big rock with direct view on the Quidditch pitch, where the Hogwarts team was starting their training, taking in their adversaries with sharp eyes, in disciplined silence.

“ _Psst! Guys_!”

The group turned around and their eyes collectively widened; below them Ava was slowly robbing herself upwards on her stomach and elbows, completely covered in mud and grass, her face smeared over with brown mud.

Shannon was the first to collect herself.

“Ava! What on earth are you doing?”

“Taking cover of course, what does it look like?” Ava retorted, matter of factly. She paused in her stealth rob and frowned at them. “Hey, you look completely normal!”

Mary chuckled. “The pitch is one big mist soup, badass, you know that. There is no way they will spot us.”

When Ava finally reached them and huddled between Shannon and Lilith, Lilith scrunched her nose.

“You stink.”

“Lilith,” Shannon admonished and lay a hand on Ava's shoulder. “Ava, if you wanted to conceal ourselves, you could have just used a spell? There is no need for... all this.”

Ava huffed. “You wizards are the laziest people I ever met – you don't have to use spells all the time, where is the fun in that?”

“Ava, you are a witch. And you'll catch a cold.”

“Nah, I'll just use a dry spell. I know they don't work perfectly on anything thicker than water but I practiced.”

It was quipped with the utmost nonchalance and Shannon softened. She threw the group warning glances, as if to say _leave her alone_.

“Fine, just take a warm shower after, okay? Lilith, give Ava the omnioculars.”

Lilith did so with great hesitation. “If you get mud in them, you'll buy me new ones.”

“Sure,” Ava smiled and pressed what she still stubbornly called binoculars to her eyes.

Like Mary said, the Quidditch pitch was one big mist soup but the Hogwarts players in their stark black and yellow Quidditch robes were still easy to spot. Ava assumed it was their new all school team uniform since like them they never had had an all-house team before. She herself really digged the new full cranberry robes and couldn't wait to wear them tomorrow in their first official training session.

With haste she let the binoculars drift over the pitch – until she found what she was looking for.

Beatrice Winston was blowing into a whistle and the Hogwarts team gathered around her. Ava was charmed when she did the bow thing again to her team.

“There's Beatrice! I mean, the captain.”

A brief silence ensued and she could practically feel Mary's smirk on her.

“Yeah, we all see her, Ava. Looking for anything in particular?”

Ava blushed. “Shut up, she's their captain, it makes sense to watch her.”

“Yeah so far I'm not worried. How dangerous can little Miss perfect manners be?”

“She was really decent yesterday with Ava,” Shannon reminded them.

“Sue, that was decent,” Mary admitted. “But I don't like that she knew I was a chaser. Or that Ava is our seeker. She clearly got her intel before coming here. I don't like that one bit -we didn't get any advance owl on their team setup.”

“Shht, look”; Lilith interrupted them and they refocused on the their opponents' training.

To their surprise their brooms were still lying untouched on the ground and they were doing... weird things, stepping quickly on their spots, with Beatrice leading the movements.

“What are they doing?” Lilith asked haughtily.

Mary perched closer to the edge. “Maybe some weird, British non verbal magic thing.”

Ava surprised them all with a loud laugh, before she quickly pressed her hands to her mouth.

“What?”  
“They're just warming up,” Ava explained, like it was obvious.

Unintelligible stares met her and she blinked in amusement.

“Don't tell me you guys don't do that either in your training? I though it was just my captain that was a bit dense?”

Shannon frowned. “But – warm ups without brooms?”

Ava sighed inwardly. Wizards really were a lazy bunch. And that was Shannon and Mary, who at least did run regularly. Magic really didn't encourage sport.

“I'll explain later. Let's keep watching.”

And so they watched how Beatrice continued to lead her team through a series of no-maj workouts that Ava remembered from television when she still thought she was a no-maj herself.

Then the training proceeded to be more familiar, with the players taking to their brooms. Beatrice started with the chasers and goal keepers, setting up goal attempts, while the beaters were starting to beat bludgers between them. Lilith commented gleefully on how small and petite one of the beaters, a girl, was. Said girl finally got to the ground and brought out a golden chest to the middle of the pitch.

Ava shuffled excitedly when finally Beatrice was getting on her broom and flew up to hover directly above the chest. The Beater called something up to her and the Seeker nodded.

The girl opened the chest... and an onslaught of what must have been at least fifty snitches exploded from it, spreading wildly around the pitch in seconds. And Beatrice got to work.

Ava watched with an open mouth how the Seeker flashed like lightening over the pitch, her flying precise and sharp as a razor and looking almost like she choreographed the thing. After two minutes she had caught five of them, quickly pushing them into a bag attached to her broom, before she continued her performance.

Mary clicked her tongue.

“What the fuck is this.”

“I've never seen such flying,” Shannon commented in awe.

“What a show off,” Lilith grumbled.

They all turned to Ava at her unusual silence. The Thunderbird seemed frozen to her omnioculars, mud dropping softly of her as she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Lilith knocked on her head.

“Ava?”

“Hhm? Oh! Yeah, such a show-off, I mean, really, chasing after fifty snitches like its nothing, what's the use?”Ava bubbled out nervously. The three others stared. Ava gave an unsteady chuckle. It turned into a choke when suddenly Beatrice performed a fricking hand stand on her broom, as a wayward bludger flew towards her. And then, as if that wasn't impressive enough, one hand snatched forward to catch another snitch in front of her, while her other arm held up the rest of her body effortlessly. Her black sweater was falling down then and revealed creamy white, honest to god abs to the world. Ava choked even more and then coughed and finally had to look away, blushing fevourishly as Shannon patted her back.

“Well, we have a problem,” Lilith announced dryly.

“Whatever,” Mary retorted with a shrug. “Sure, she's an impressive flyer, I give her that. But you know that Ava is one heck of a flyer too. And she has the best instinct I have ever seen in all my years watching and playing Quidditch, she'll be fine.”

Ava interupped her coughing forcefully to throw her a grateful smile, before she proceeded to cough her lungs out. Mary grinned. “As long as she keeps her eyes on the snitch and not the other seeker.” Ava glared, but in her current situation she couldn't counter.

While everyone was busy keeping their youngest from suffocating, no one noticed that other Hogwarts players had started to catch the snitches in the sky and one flyer was heading towards them.

“Watch it!” Mary shouted suddenly, and threw them all down as a girl bolted over their heads in full speed. When they carefully rose their heads the girl had sharply put a brake on her broom and they could take stock of her. It was the little beater Lilith had noticed before. She was indeed very small in statue but from up close they could see her strong build. But much more noticeable was the girl's face, which was sunshine incarnate. She beamed as she rose up some sort of brailer in her hand. In it was a an amber mass and above it a dozen snitches flying all over themselves.

“Got you!” she shouted happily before she seemed to finally notice her mud sprinkled onlookers.

Her eyes widened.

“Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there! I was just so focused on catching this snitch. They are so fast you see, and after all I'm no seeker and we all really want to get to our break. And I got distracted earlier, because these mountains are so pretty! Why are you covered in mud?”

The Ilvermornies stared at her. Finally, Lilith wiped the mud of her face and made an effort to look as dignified as she could. She pointed to the brailer in the Hogwarts girl's hand.

“What is that?” she demanded in a clear voice.

Carmilla followed her gaze to the brailer on her hand and gave her another sunshine beam smile.

“Oh! Those are amber shards. The snitches are drawn to it, you see. If we didn't have that, Beatrice couldn't practice like she wants to, it would take forever to catch them all. I invented it, actually,” she added shyly, before her gaze drifted to Ava and her look turned concerned.

“You're shaking. Are you alright?”

Ava looked down at herself and at once realized she was indeed shivering with cold. The mud had seeped through her robes and distracted by Beatrice's super flying and her Beatrice-induced coughing fit she hadn't even noticed how freezing cold she was.

She opened her mouth but before she could answer, the sunshine girl before them had risen her wand to her her throat and her magically enhanced voice sounded through the mountains.

“BEATRICE! I COULD USE YOUR HELP OVER HERE!”

Shannon's eyes turned round.

“No no, that's really not necessary, we were just leaving. Just taking a stroll, you see-”

But it was already too late. Captain Beatrice was headed their way, with a small entourage of two other players trailing behind her. Lilith slapped a hand to her forehead.

Shortly after, Beatrice drew her broom to an elegant halt before them and took them in. Her almond shaped eyes methodically shifted over all four them and lingered on Ava, who tried desperately not to look like she was camouflaged, as she clearly was. _Maybe they'll think it's an American thing_ , Ava thought hopefully, but Beatrice's next words competently shattered that hope.

“Good morning. I didn't realize we had an audience.”

_Shit._

Mary got up first and shook off the mud from where she had fallen.

“Morning. Nah, we were just taking a Sunday stroll here, no watching intended. Had no idea you guys would practice so early.”  
Beatrice steered her broom down and landed softly in front of them.

“Do you always take omnioculars to your walks?” she asked calmly. Two other players, a boy and a girl, landed behind her and snickered.

Mary's legendary poker face didn't butch.

“As your friend here said, we got some stunning views.”  
The girl happily nodded.

“Yes, it really is stunning! Beatrice and I were just talking about that when we headed here, weren't we Bea? Oh, I'm Camila, by the way!”

She reached out a hand. Shannon got up as well and took it with a smile.

“Hi, I'm Shannon. I'm the captain of the Ilvermorny team. And I admit we came here to watch how you were doing Quidditch in Scotland.”

Mary turned sharply to her.

“Shannon!”  
“It's no use babe, we know it and they know it. This is my girlfriend Mary, also a Chaser of our team. And these are Lilith, one of our Beaters, and Ava, our Seeker. It's nice to meet you all.”  
Beatrice seemed to take her admission favorably and smiled as she also shook Shannon's hand.

The others were still more wary, exchanging mumbled greetings.

“It is only forsightful to want to know your opponents,” Beatrice commented sagely. “It's nice to meet you all. I hope the snitches didn't bother you, they can get a little crazy when they are all in the box together.”

Mary, seemingly having gotten over their exposure quickly, chimed in. “Yeah, what's up with that? Your girl here said that you guys use amber to attract the snitches? Hope you don't plan on doing that in the match?”

“Of course not. That would be against the rules.”

“Uh-oh.”

Beatrice shook her head and smiled, putting a hand on Camila's shoulder. “I assure you, we use them exclusively for training purposes. Camila here came up with it in her first year. She is an impressive inventor.”

Carmila smiled modestly and also layed an arm around Beatrice. Ava felt a sudden pang of... _something_ at their obvious closeness – but after a deep breath she recognized the sisterly pride in Beatrice's voice. Surely they were just friends and why did she care anyway? She suppressed a shiver and wrapped her arms around her. That got the attention of the other female Hogwarts player.

“You're Ava Silva, the Seeker?” she asked. There was no meanness in her words but Ava didn't like the look in her face. It had the same blood lust she had seen before and it overshadowed any joy she would have usually felt at her Irish accent.

“Yes,” she answered carefully. The other girl raised her eyebrows. “Did you camouflage yourself?”

Ava drew in a deep breath, ready to throw the most ridiculous excuse ever at the noisy Irish girl; but hen she deflated and sighed.

“Okay, yeah, I admit it. I though if we are going to spy on you we might as well do it the cool way.”

The British boy next to Beatrice laughed. “The muggle way?” he asked. It was good naturedly but still Ava tensed. The Irish girl smiled with a an evil glee in her eyes.

“Don't you read newspapers, Rowan? She's the Squib who was turned into a wizard. Of course she would prefer muggle ways.”

“Crimson!” Beatrice called sharply. “You know what I think of this talk.” She slowly turned her head to Ava and gave her an asurring nod. “Honesty is an admirable quality in both muggles and wizards.” She held Ava's gaze purposefully but still Ava dropped hers.

Shannon cleared her throat.

“Ava teaches us admirable things every day. I think it is a huge advantage to know both sides of our worlds.”

The words filled Ava with warmth but still she kept her burning eyes on the ground as Camila chimed in again.

“I think you look great Ava! I never would have spotted you there. But Beatrice, that's why I called you here. She looks really cold and I thought maybe you could give her your spare clothes? Back home you always bring them.”

Ava's eyes darted up at that and saw Beatrice nodding.

“Yes, that's an excellent idea. Crimson, Rowan, you help Camila catching the remaining snitches.”

And suddenly Beatrice stood right before her, which quickly made Ava drop her gaze again. Until a warm, leather wrapped hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to see two soft brown eyes right before hers. Her breath stopped.

“Ava. If you want to accompany me to the changing rooms, you can have my spare clothes. You must be cold and the walk to the castle will take much longer.”

Ava swallowed.

“That would be nice, thank you.”

And Beatrice smiled. Ava felt herself smiling back and for a moment, it was just her and Beatrice, in the golden mist of the Berkshire Mountains.

Then Mary cleared her throat. Ava looked up, startled and was met with Mary's raised eyebrows and the hugest smile of Carmila yet.

“You'll be alright getting back, Ava? Or should we wait up?”

“Oh no, I'm good, you're good, I mean don't wait up. I see you guys for lunch?”

“You will!” Camilla said cheerfully to everyone's surprise, before she hopped onto her broom and set off. After a moment's hesitation, Rowan and Crimson joined her and Mary, Shannon and Lilith took their leave with conspiratorial looks.

And then it was just Ava and Beatrice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Camila really is sunshine incarnate, isn't she :) Next chapter Beatrice and Ava won't know what hit them. To end with I have a favour to ask: like so many people in our current pandemic, I have unfortunately lost a significant amount of my income. A friend and long-time reader of my work suggested I make a patreon. So if you like my art or my writing or both, any contribution would be so much appreciated and help a ton! I'm still figuring this whole patreon thing out, but I'm sure commissions will be possible soon :) If you like me are in a difficult financial situation I just hope that my art will bring you a little joy in these hard days. Take care everybody, much love! Thank you  
> Xx Aemeth  
> https://www.patreon.com/aemeth


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice are finally alone and their connection works its magic ;)

“Do you want us to fly down to the changing rooms together? I know it is not recommended to share these kind of brooms but I'm a good flier and it's only a short distance.”

“I- I will get you all muddy.”

Beatrice smiled. “I will continue to train afterwards, Ava. It is alright.”

And then she loosened the cord that held her black cloak over her sweater and wrapped it over Ava's shoulders. “For the headwind,” she explained and gently pulled it closed before she climbed on her broom.

Ava grasped the cloak to her chest, warmth blooming underneath for more reasons than the protective fabric. Beatrice was so... _gentle._

With slight delay she realized the Hogwarts girl was waiting for her and she hurried to step behind her. Quickly, she hopped onto the broom and only then realized she would get to basically hug Beatrice from behind. The concept both thrilled and terrified her. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around Beatrice, hands hovering just before making contact.

“Is this okay?”

“Of course.”

And finally Ava wrapped her arms around Beatrice's middle and _wow_ , she could feel her hard stomach even through that woolen sweater. With a shy smile she scooted closer. Beatrice was so very warm. She smelled of sandal wood and mountain air and Ava took in a deep breath. She could see the fine hairs on Beatrice's neck, wet with sweat, a small chaos beneath the immaculate rest of her hair.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Beatrice pushed off the ground and with that they were in the air. Ava quickly realized why it was that she had never been with another person on a broom before; the saddle charm was construed for one person and she was barely hanging onto the end of it.

“Whoa!”

“Hold on!” Beatrice encouraged and Ava quickly strengthened her grip around her waist, but they were soaring over the Quidditch field like a flash and already on their descent on to the changing rooms.

Beatrice landed them softly on the grass, still, with the impact of landing, Ava was pushed forward, her face now pressed into Beatrice's neck. The girl before her tensed, her spine going rigid. Sensing it, Ava reluctantly left the cozy spot and stood up on slightly wobbly legs.

“Yup, definitely a one person broom only!” she laughed as Beatrice stepped off the broom much more elegantly. “Hey, wouldn't Quidditch on tandem-brooms be fun? Imagine, the front beater would just feign a hit and then duck and the back-beater would smash the bludger in a completely different direction-”

She paused when she noticed Beatrice's amused gaze on her.

“You can find fun in anything, can't you?”

Ava blinked.

“Well, I can't help it. For a long time there was no fun for me but the one I made happen.”

A look of regret flashed over Beatrice's face as she turned and slowly made way for the changing rooms.

“I'm sorry for how Angus and Crimson have spoken to you. It is inexcusable and I apologize on their behalf. Personally, I would not have chosen either of them for the team or the envoy, but as Hogwarts captain I did not get the same freedom I have as the captain of the Ravenclaw team to select the players or students.”

Ava nodded as she trailed beside her.

“I get it, some people suck balls despite being good Quidditch players. Sometimes maybe even because they are good Quidditch players, I think. But it's okay, I'm used to it.”

Beatrice paused and turned to her.

“You shouldn't be,” she said quietly but with such conviction and earnesty that it threw Ava. They continued walking and finally entered the old changing rooms. It was strange to be in them with so much quiet, only the scent of sweat reminding of the loud rumble of players that usually filled this place.

Ava flopped down on a bank, stealing herself, watching Beatrice's back as the older girl started to open a locker.

“You can ask, you know. I know you want to.”

Beatrice halted in her movements. She didn't turn around.

“It is not my place to ask you about things that you have not shared with me,” she said finally. “It is obvious that many people have done so and I will not add to that pain.”

In an almost shy manner she turned just barely to give her a reassuring, firm gaze.

“Your history is yours to share, Ava. You don't owe it to me or anyone.”

She proceeded to pull out a neatly folded bundle of clothes.

Ava was taken aback, contemplating the girl's words.

“Yeah, well – when everyone can read your history in the paper, that's not really true anymore, is it? Everyone I meet has heard about me. I know that even you guys have heard about it. Are you saying you haven't?”

Beatrice closed the locker deliberately and went to sit down next to her, the bundle of clothes pressed to her chest.

“It would be a lie to say I haven't. But that was only an account on you, not your story. And I won't ask you about it, nor form an opinion on any of it - unless you want to share it with me.”

She gave her a small, but reassuring smile, before offering her the clothes.

“Here, I think these should fit you fine. I hope you don't mind wearing a jumper from my house.”

Ava's head was still swimming with her extraordinary words. When she had come to Ilvermorny and had met JC, even he and the rest of the Thunderbird gang had asked her relentlessly about it, even while they were friendly. She hadn't known discretion until she met Mary and Shannon and Lilith; found her real friends.

She hugged the bundle of clothes to herself.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Beatrice smiled gently in response.

Ava dropped her gaze and took off the warm Quidditch cloak, before she started to pull off her mud-soaked sweater.

Beatrice whipped around so fast she almost slid of the bench.

“What's wrong?” Ava asked as she teared off the sweater and began to work on the T-shirt beneath it.

“Just giving you privacy,” Beatrice said quickly, too quickly.

Ava frowned. Beatrice was a Quidditch player. She changed and saw people changing before her all the time.

_Huh._

She made quick work of the rest of her soaked clothes until she was down to her underwear and then slipped on Beatrice's nice and warm woolen pants before she halted at the sight of the sweater.

“Hey, how come your house symbol is an eagle if you're called Ravenclaw?”

Beatrice chuckled and made to turn to her. For a brief moment her wide eyes jumped over naked skin, then she whipped around again.

Ava grinned to herself at the reaction and Beatrice cleared her throat.

“Even most people in Hogwarts never notice that. For some reason, Rowena Ravenclaw decided for the eagle to be the symbol of our house. It is a choice I never understood, for ravens are much more intelligent creatures. Do you take interest in birds?”

Ava looked down at the golden eagle sewed onto the blue sweater skeptically, before slipping it on. It was wonderfully warm on her cold skin and it smelled of sandal wood and books. Like Beatrice.

“I've always loved birds. I used to watch them at the window in the orphanage all the time. I made my friend Diego bring me seeds and berries and with time they would fly from the window to me. When the four statues all moved forward at my house ceremony, I think that's why I chose Thunderbird. Plus, I liked the sound of adventure. You can turn around now, I'm all decent.”

Slowly Beatrice did. When she looked at Ava in her clothes, the dark woolen pants and the blue Ravenclaw sweater, she looked strangely captivated, before she nodded appreciatively at her.

“I always admired that Ilvermorny's choosing ceremony so often presents its students with choices. But I heard it is incredibly rare that all four statues will move forward and want to claim a person. You must be quite extraordinary, for them all to claim you.”  
Ava blushed fiercely at that. As hard as she listened, there was no flattery in Beatrice's voice, nor envy or disbelief. She said it as though it were a mere fact.

“Well, no one expected it from the former crippled squib, that's for sure” she laughed nervously. A loaded silence grew between them and, finally, she dared to look into Beatrice's eyes again. The serene girl looked at her with quiet acceptance, no curiosity or impatience in her warm, brown eyes.

Ava swallowed. Normally she hated talking about her past. And Beatrice was one of the first not to demand it, not to manipulate her to reveal more.

Maybe that was why she was burning to tell her.

“Many people say it was just the magic from the snakewood tree that was in me that confused the statues,” she burst out. “Do you know the story of our snakewood tree?”

Beatrice hesitated, before she carefully placed a hand on Ava's shoulder.

“Ava, you don't have to-”

But now there was no stopping Ava.

“Basically one of our founders, Isolt, had this really evil aunt, Gormlaith, who tried to kill her and her husband and snatch their babies when she heard of their family and Ilvermorny. And when they were fighting this pukwudgie appeared and killed the aunt and saved the day. Isolt's wand had been made by Gormlaith though and it was made out of snakewood. Isolt didn't want the thing anymore afterwards but they couldn't destroy it, no matter what. So they buried it and from it grew our snakewood tree. They found it had healing powers that no one can explain. And one day, out of nowhere, this man shows up at my orphanage who said he was my father. My mum had told me he didn't want me because I hadn't inherited his 'talents' that's all she said, before she... before she died. I had no idea he was a wizard. So he showed up and said he knows how to heal me and give me powers like his. He took me to the tree and lay me down on its roots. Left me there the entire night. I couldn't feel my body back then but my face was so cold. I finally fell asleep. And when I woke up I could feel cold all over my body and I could move. And when they found me later I was so panicked I accidentally used magic, which I never could before. My father had dissapeared. No one ever saw him again. And I guess you know the rest.”

Ava ended breathlessly. Her heart was hammering, her head throbbing, and she had no idea what had just happened. During her whole speech Beatrice hadn't moved her hand from her shoulder. Her face was just as calm as before, only that now more emotions swam in her eyes. But they seemed hidden, carefully held back beneath walls and Ava couldn't quite make them out, like lights, blurred in the distance.

Beatrice gently squeezed her shoulder.

Ava released a shuddering breath.

“I'm not extraordinary. I can barely even do basic spells right, you saw that. I'm just some freak miracle that no one can figure out.”

“I don't think that's true,” Beatrice asserted quietly.

Ava looked up at her through tears that had sprung to her eyes.

“The statues of Ilvermorny are filled with old, powerful magic. I do not think they would be easily fooled. What happened to you was a miracle, Ava. But the tree must have had a good reason to bestow it on you. Do not doubt that.”

And when she ended ,Ava suddenly noticed something on her chest – a necklace, that must have sprung free from beneath her Quidditch sweater when she had spun around around so fast. It was a small wooden cross.

“You're...christian?” she asked quietly. Beatrice looked surprised, before she looked down at herself and noticed her cross. Her fingers closed around it tentatively. “Some wizards still are. I know it's not very popular given what the church has done to our people... but I still choose to believe they acted only in God's name, not on his behest. I know many wizards would laugh at that.”

Ava blinked her tears away. Beatrice's eyes were brimming with emotion now and she held her cross so tightly. She wanted to know Beatrice's story then, how she could still believe in a God whose followers burned down their people for centuries. She wanted to know why she looked so afraid.

Ava put her hand on top of Beatrice's on her shoulder.

“I won't laugh at it,” she told her simply and Beatrice smiled shakily.

“Thank you.”

And just in this moment a voice from outside broke their moment and both of them jumped.

“BEATRICE! UM, BREAK ENDED FIVE MINUTES AGO, ARE YOU COMING?”

Beatrice jumped to her feet, taking several steps back and Ava frowned at that.

“I – I'm sorry, I – I have to go.”

Ava jumped to her feet as well, not understanding and not liking how.. afraid Beatrice suddenly looked.

“No, I'm sorry. I um, didn't mean to spill my sad life story on you and all that. I guess – I guess I just wanted to tell you myself before your mean girl out there tells you any shit.”

Beatrice's face managed to both harden and soften at the same time.

“I assure you Crimson will not gossip about you again, I will make sure of that. And... I'm glad you decided to tell me, Ava. I -”

“BEATRICE?!”

She grabbed her broom.

“I know Camila invited us all to your diner table tonight. It is just her way. But if you do not mind, I would be glad to continue our conversation tonight?”

Ava beamed at that.

“Yes! I mean, that would be great. Friendly international relationships, that's what this is all about, am I right?”

She could have slapped herself at the word relationship but hey, it got Beatrice smiling again.

“Of course. We shall look forward to it.”  
She did her head bow thing and started to walk out before she paused at the door.

“You can keep my clothes for as long as you like.”

Then she stepped onto her broom and literally flew into the sky right from the doorway.

Ava wrapped a hand in the neck of her sweater and pushed it to her nose, and was promptly encased by the calming scent of sandal wood. She smiled.

***

When she walked into the Thunderbird common room, everyone made big eyes at her blue Ravenclaw sweater. JC and Chanel quickly pulled her aside and bombarded her with questions.

They laughed at her clumsiness and their failed espionage attempt and of course Ava left out the little heart-to-heart she had had with Beatrice. Which was hard because the whole hike down from the mountains to the castle she could not think of anything else.

“Well, at least they were friendly” JC declared with a slap to her shoulder.”Who cares about stupid Quidditch titles anyway. We're going town to town later, going to finally pull that prank on the old pergament maker. Wanna come?”  
Ava hesitated. A year ago she would have said yes in a heart beat. When she had arrived at Ilvermorny, all alone in this huge confusing world, JC and his crew had taken her in quickly and their penchant for fun and mischief was a welcome distraction from having to adjust to having an able body, being a witch and catching up with classes where everyone was years ahead of her. She had experienced life with them for the first time – and had gotten into trouble much. Mary, who had saved her from attacks by students who had deemed her a freak, had disapproved of them, but had also told her it was her choice who she hung out with. Only after she had told the struggling Ava that her girlfriend Shannon was an excellent tutor and had offered to help her catch up, Ava had stopped to get up to mischief with JC and the gang every night. Shannon's gentle manner and Mary's bluntness and support had driven her to finally open up and tell about her feelings and fears, and the older pair had listened and supported her. And gradually she chose more and more time with them, and even Lilith, who was gruff and weary of Ava in the beginning but revealed more and more she had accepted Ava into their circle and Ava found that she was loyal beyond measure, when she, as student president, had busted Ava and the gang stealing from the infirmary and had opted not to report them but had promised them hell if she ever got them again. It was Lilith who had then took her flying so she “did something useful with all that energy” and had discovered her talent. Since then she had felt less and less comfortable spending time with shenanigans with the crew and found she preferred the team spirit and hard work of Quidditch, and the more mature company of Mary, Shannon and Lilith.

She would still hang out with them from time to time, but felt increasingly uncomfortable with their pranks, so often at the great expanse of others.

“I don't know,” she said with hesitation. “I have Quidditch practice tomorrow and still a lot of school work to catch up with today.”  
“What happened to you, Silva? You're no fun anymore,” Chanel complained and JC looked at her with sad eyes. Ava avoided to look at them. JC had also been her first attempt at romance... and he still pined for her, she knew that. But she also knew it had freaked him out when she had revealed the... abilities the snakewood tree gave her and his reaction had hurt her.

She thought back to Beatrice's immediate and unwavering acceptance... somehow she was sure Beatrice wouldn't be afraid like he was. And with that thought she made her choice.

“Sorry guys, I just have a lot on my plate right now. But when we win the match we celebrate, okay?”

She gave a quick wave and sprinted up the staircase to the dormitories, where she let herself fall onto her bed. She was tired, both from the hike and from the emotionally draining, but exhilarating moment she had shared with Beatrice.

_Beatrice._

Ava wrapped her arms around herself and pressed her nose into the other girl's sweater. Her heart calmed and she found herself smiling again.

***

Beatrice was buried deep into the newspaper archive of Ilvermorny's library when Camila found her.

“Oh, here you are Bea! We were looking for-”

“Shhhsh,” Beatrice interrupted her gently, motioning to the general sanctity of the library around them.

Camila quieted herself to a whisper.

“Right, sorry. Anyway, the others and me are headed for this little town down in the shire, exploring a little. Are you coming?”

“I'm not quite finished yet,” Beatrice replied distractedly, turning another page. Here, the moving image of a younger Ava Silva greeted her. She looked a little scared at the grand surroundings of the American ministry around her, but her eyes also shone with curiosity.

Camila stepped behind her and took in the many articles, all of them on “the snakewood miracle.”

She smiled knowingly and put her hands on Beatrice's shoulders.

“You like Ava, don't you?”

Beatrice went rigid.

“In only one day two of us insulted her. It is highly inexcusable and I want to make amends,” she defended herself.

Camila hummed.

“That's really nice of you. She seems really nice, too.”

Beatrice nodded stiffly and turned the page again, deliberately.

Camila squeezed her shoulders.

“Tell you what, meet us down in the hall in ten minutes, alright? You can study those later.” And with that she was off.

Beatrice released a huge breath and sighed. It was true that Ava Silva had captured her... attention. How could she not? She thought back to the girl covered in mud, looking like a deer in the headlights and smiled. But then her thoughts slipped to the brief moment where she had seen Ava in just a bra and her trousers and quickly pushed that thought away. It was also true what she had said to Camila; that the Hogwarts students had treated Ava less than desirably and as their designated house captain and Head girl, it was her duty to make amends.

That was all.

That was all there could be.

Her eyes sank down heavily onto the newspaper before her, frowning at the line beneath Ava's picture.

_Crippled Squib girl gets another chance at life._

It angered her. This girl... she turned two pages back to a muggle, non-moving picture of Ava in a bed in what must have been her orphanage. Her body frail and thin, muscles unmoving beneath her blanket. But she was beaming at something outside of the frame, widely and warmly.

This girl had been full of life even when she had lain paralysed in a bed, not knowing of the wizard world. All her world being a cold room in a cruel muggle orphanage.

And still that smile.

People were cruel, wizards and muggles.

Gently, she let a finger trail down the picture of young Ava in the orphanage, before she pulled it back sharply, as if burned.

She quickly stood, sorted the articles in a neat pile, and brought them back to their rightful place. And she made to join her friends down in the hall, determined not to think about dinner later with Ava Silva and her friends, determined not to think about Ava Silva at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? I actually got the idea about Ava and the snakewood tree when I read about Ilvermorny's history and fell in love with the concept :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch and The Ilvermornies' Quidditch training :) Everyone and their mother sees that Ava and Beatrice are gay for each other and they slowly figure it out, too.

“So that was it?” Mary asked skeptically. “She just gave you her clothes, you got changed, end of story?”

“Yup,” Ava nodded vehemently, taking a big swig of spiked pumpkin juice.

“No talking? You?”

“I was cold.”

“And I don't believe you.”

Ava gasped, offended. “Why?!”

Mary pointed at her chest. “Because you're still wearing her goddamn house sweater!”

Ava blushed, and quickly pulled her cranberry robe tighter over the Ravenclaw “jumper” as Beatrice had so charmingly called it. “I fell asleep in it! There was no time to change!”

Simultaneously, Shannon chuckled gently and Lilith gave an all-suffering sigh.

The first crocked her head at her.

“So, Beatrice seems to be a cool person.”

“Yeah,” Ava agreed with a a smile but somehow she couldn't meet Shannon's eyes; instead she digged into her food with renewed gusto.

“I think she likes you.”

Ava sputtered out a chunk full of meatloaf back to her plate. Mary turned to her girlfriend reproachfully. “I don't get it – you said we should approach that topic gently?”

Ava's eyes turned round as plates. “Excuse me?!”

“Yes?”, Shannon asked innocently.

“You call this gently?” Mary asked with raised eyebrows, motioning in the direction of Ava's more and more indignant face. Lilith did a Lilith thing, where she both smirked and rolled her eyes.

“Hell-oh! I'm still here. What topic? What do you mean?”

“Just what I said,” Shannon smiled. “I like how she treats you.”

“Okay?” Ava agreed, still confused. “But I've only known her for like, two days. “

“You've known Shannon for two hours before you told me she was the best and that you couldn't believe how I had managed to be her girlfriend,” Mary threw in between two bites of her loaf.

Shannon's eyes shone. “You said that?” she asked, before nudging Mary affectionately.

“Yeah, well she was so gruff and you were so sweet and patient – but hey, don't get off topic! Why is Beatrice being nice to me a topic? Whats, um, topical about that?”

The truth was, something in Ava knew very well what Shannon meant. But while it normally was not in her nature to block her feelings, this one was still too sudden and unbidden to put it into words. Shannon was good with words, particularly putting Ava's messes into them. But just when Ava allowed her gaze to become pleading and Shannon's got the gentle twinkle she got when she was about to impart her wisdom, Camila slipped next to a startled Lilith and beamed into the round.

“Hi! Are you talking about the news?”

Mary let out a loud laugh. “In a manner of speaking...”

Ava's eyes though were latched onto Beatrice who had elegantly sat down next to Camila. The Headgirl had clearly showered since their practice and looked nice and refreshed, if a little tired. Both she and Camila had come in just the underclothes of their uniforms – gray woolen sweaters and pants and ties – Beatrice's blue one, that was tied neatly, and Camila's yellow one hanging more loosely around her neck.

How good Beatrice looked in the dull assemble was simply unfair.

“Hi”, Ava said a bit awkwardly but Beatrice smiled.

“Hello, Ava. I see you have warmed up?”

“Yeah, your sweater is really warm, I actually fell asleep in it... sorry.”

“Not at all, I'm happy you are so comfortable in it.”

Shannon and Camila smiled widely. Mary grinned lazily and pointed a thumb at Ava.

“If I was you, I'd get it back quick as I can... she likes it so much, she's still wearing it.”

Ava threw Mary a death glare but before she could defend her dignity Camila chimed in.

“Hogwarts jumpers are the best! My little sister always snitches mine when I'm home for the holidays, she can't wait to get hers. It looks good on you, Ava.”

“It does,” Beatrice agreed softly. “As I said; keep it as long as you like, Ava.”

Ava couldn't help but smile widely. “Thank you.”

While their eyes were locked, they didn't notice Mary, Shannon and Camilla exchanging looks. Lilith cleared her throat.

“So, Beatrice – you belong to the Winstons? One of the oldest wizard families around Bristol, I hear.”

Everyone looked at her in surprise. Beatrice looked down and started to put food on her plate with especially pointed grace.

“Yes, that is true. My parents currently serve as the British Wizardry Consuls to the United States.”

All questions Ava had for Lilith went out the window at that.

“Oh, so you must come to the states regularly?”she asked excitedly. The idea that Beatrice might be around after the tournament made her blood rush.

But for the first time Beatrice didn't look at her when she answered.

“I have been here two times before, but mostly my parents prefer I focus on my studies in Hogwarts. Lilith, you are part of the Fayden Family in Massachusetts, if I remember correctly?”

“You do.”

For some reason, Lilith pierced Beatrice with an almost warning look. Beatrice returned it calmly and Ava wondered what that was about. Maybe about assesing dominance, from what she heard these pureblood families had some hardcore way of dealing with things.

Mary groaned. “Oh no, another pure-blood. Don't think I can handle more than one.”

“Mary!,” Shannon called sharply and Beatrice looked like she had been slapped. Worriedly, Ava looked on, wanting to defend Beatrice – but she was still learning the ugly dynamics of Wizard classes and she knew that so called pure-bloods had brought much pain on Mary and her family. Camila put a hand on her friend's arm and turned to Mary with earnest eyes. “Beatrice would never think that way about herself. I know some of the old wizard families are just awefull but Beatrice is not one of them.”

Beatrice seemed to draw some strength from her support before she too turned to Mary.

“I do not subscribe to the belief that being born into an old wizard family makes you better than anyone else, Mary. I am sorry if others have used that hateful rhetoric before you.”

Mary considered her carefully for a moment; then she returned casually to her food.

“It's all good. I'm just a little allergic to high society talk. Took me a while to get used to Lilith here too.”

“Same here,” Lilith replied icily, but then they grinned at each other. Ava shook her head, relieved the worst tension seemed to have been resolved but she still had a lot of questions.

“So, you knew of Lilith just because you both belong to old wizard families? Is there like a who's who international for your guys?”

When Beatrice gave the tiniest smile at that and some of the rigidness in her shoulders dissapeared, Ava was proud of herself.

“The social circles of our families are small and discussing each other is usually the favorite topic.”

Shannon blinked. “If you knew of Beatrice, why didn't you say anything before?” she asked Lilith.

Lilith shrugged. “I never heard much about Beatrice – none of the usual scandals. Want to cue us in on the Winston secrets, Beatrice?”

Beatrice paused, as if to think. “Well – I can tell you that I do not like the traditional English breakfast – my mother is convinced it would lead to a national disgrace if that came out, so I rely on your discretion, Lilith.”

Everyone laughed at that and the last bit of tension lifted. Mary proceeded to grill Beatrice on how she had known their team setup and the Headgirl surprised all of them when she said she had simply read the American Witch Weekly Article on their team, which earned her an impressed “Damn” from Mary. Camila told them that they had just visited the little town down the shires and she and Beatrice started to ask interested questions about the history and customs of the place. Ava listened on and was unusually quiet; she enjoyed watching Beatrice absorbing Shannon's and Lilith's answers, watching how she genuinely seemed to enjoy learning about their home away from home – Ava's only home. Eventually, Lilith and Camila got into a passionate conversation about bats and while on the other side Shannon batted Mary's hand away from stealing the last of the pudding, Beatrice's gaze glid to Ava. For a moment it rested on her, gently, curiously, intensely. It was like they were back in the changing rooms, alone in their own strange, intense space. But when Ava tentatively smiled at her, her brow suddenly furrowed and Ava's smile dropped immediately. Then Beatrice abruptly lay down her napkin and stood up.

“Excuse me,” she said politely into the round. “It was really nice talking to you all, but I have to meet Professor McGonnagal for a report. I will see you all soon.”

The group was barely able to say goodbyes, before she had walked away bristly.

“Is she okay?” Shannon asked Camila, who looked after her fiend with slight concern. Then she sighed.

“Beatrice always works too hard. Don't worry, it's not you. Whenever she feels she is enjoying herself too much, she feels like she has to go back to work. It's how her parents raised her.”

Those words made Ava angry.

“Well, they sound like complete dicks,” she decided, watching Beatrice leave the hall.

Camila's sweet face turned hard as she nodded.

“They are.”

And Ava's heart ached even more for this girl she hardly knew.

***

The next morning found the new Ilvermorny team sweating and wheezing twenty minutes into training. Shannon had made Mary Co-Captain, a decision that everyone apart from her already lamented deeply.

“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” Mary shouted at her fellow chasers, as they were doing desperate maneuvers to evade the dozen bludgers that were being batted at them by Lilith and Ava's Thunderbird teammate John. “I KNOW THEY HAVE A BEATER THAT LOOKS LIKES SHE'L FLY UP TO YOU AND GVIE YOU A GIFT BASKET, BUT SHE HAS A VISCOUS ARM AND ALL YOU'LL GET IS A BLUDGER TO YOUR FACE, SO MOVE IT!”

Ava, who was flying high, scouting for the snitch, had to laugh at the apt description of Camila, but then quickly had to roll as one of the bludgers went for her. It flew past her with its viscous, creepy sound and she exhaled, patting her broom appreciatively.

“You still got it, Rambo”, she cooed at him. “Don't let anyone tell you you're old.”

'Rambo', a second-hand broom tweaked and modified by Mary and Shannon, had been their gift for her fifteenth birthday – and the first proper gift she had ever been given in her memory. She cherished him endlessly and while Mary had groaned when she learned of the name she had given him – since her aunt, who she had partly been raised by was a no-maj, she was somewhat familiar with movies – she had still spent the evening patiently teaching Ava how to carve the name into the handle without damaging the spells on the broom and had hugged her fiercely when Ava had started to cry from joy.

But just when Ava had brought him into an upright position again, she startled as she spotted something. Her mouth fell open and she quickly steered Rambo downwards.

“Shannon!” she burst out, doing a sharp break next to her captain. “It's Beatrice! I mean, the Hogwarts team!”

The whole team team turned around and watched as Beatrice, Camilla, Rowan and and a new girl calmly and openly marched onto the fields. Everyone watched in stunned silence until the small procession came to a halt in front of them and Beatrice smiled.

“Good Morning, Shannon. I was hoping you would allow us to attend your training for a little while?”

Shannon, always the eloquent, could just blink, gobsmacked.

“Um-”

John spoke up hesitantly. “Uh, I don't know, wouldn't that be a little, um, stupid?”

“We can always spray ourselves with mud, if that makes you more comfortable?” Rowan giggled and Ava blushed. Their teammates looked at them quizzically and Camila smiled.

“We just thought we'd return the visit,” she explained sweetly, but with a mischievous glint in her eye. Shannon cleared her throat. “Um, yeah, lets say you can watch us for fifteen minutes, is that alright?”

Beatrice nodded. “That's perfectly agreeable. We'll be in the stands, out of your way.”

And with that the Ilvermornies watched in bafflement how they climbed the stands in a perfect, British duck row.

John shook his head. “Okay, what the fuck? You guys want to cue us in?”

Ava was quick to steer Rambo upwards again; she didn't need to relive her humiliation.

Who knew that you could just walk in on your opponents' training and politely ask if you could watch? How... boring?

Shannon set them up quickly for a routine parkour flight, sending magical markers up in the air. Then she blew her whistle and the team dutifully started to fly the curves, rhythmically evading the bludgers Lilith and John bat at them.

Ava couldn't stop herself from glancing over to the Hogwarts team on the stands. She could see that Camila had opened a thermos can and was pouring her teammates steaming liquid into little cups.

“Oh my God, they're literally drinking tea,” Mary laughed, while flying past her. “How cliche can you be?”

Just then Ava watched how Beatrice took a sip of her tea and then licked her lips. Rambo wallowed dangerously.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “ _So_ cliche.”

Shannon played her cards right. For fifteen minutes they were doing boring drills and apart from assessing their flying styles, the Hogwarts team wouldn't learn much about them. When the quarter was up Shannon whistled them down and declared a short break. Just when Ava landed her feet in the grass, relieved she hadn't somehow made a fool of herself, the Hogwarts team was coming down from the stands, led by Camila, who sprinted to Lilith and asked her excitedly if she could try out her bat. To Ava's shock Lilith complied immediately and she saw Mary raise her eyebrows. The girl missed nothing.

Beatrice walked up to to Shannon and the two exchanged quiet, respectful Captain talk.

John walked over to her, hand running through his wind-shelved hair.

“So, you spied on the Brits covered in mud yesterday?” he winked.

“Hey, it worked well enough we saw some of their actual training, none of that boring drill shit they got to see,” Ava defended herself. John nodded. He gazed at Beatrice.

“She really train with fifty snitches?”

Yup.”

“Damn, Silva. Time to step up your game.”

He leaned closer to her conspirationaly.

“So she's kinda hot, right?”

Ava bristled.

“She's pretty”, she acknowledged through her teeth.

Of course, just then Beatrice approached her.

“Ava,”, she greeted with a smile but before Ava could say something, John rushed forward and held out his hand to her.

“Hi, I'm John. Hear you a pretty good flyer!”

Beatrice regarded him carefully. Ava felt the sudden, violent urge to give John a good swing with Rambo through his stupid hair.

“Thank you,” Beatrice finally said evenly.

The pause that followed was awkward as fuck and when John obviously rummaged his brain for something to say, Shannon called to them.

“John! Come here, I want to give you some pointers.”

Shannon, Ava decided for the hundred time, was officially the best.

John apologized and gave Beatrice a wiggly look that he surely considered attractive, before jogging off.

Ava grinned.

“Sorry about him.”

“It's quite alright.”

“But you must get that a lot?”

“What?” Beatrice asked, openly.

Ava hesitated. She briefly glanced over to Mary and saw her give her an encouraging nod.

“People coming on to you.”

It was one of these moments where a hundred things seemed to shoot through Beatrice's eyes but before Ava could catch any of them, they were gone.

“Not usually from people where I would welcome it,” she finally answered carefully.

“Not into Quidditch fuckboys?”

Beatrice laughed.

“No, not particularly. Not my cup of tea.”

 _What about Quidditch girls_ , Ava desperatly wanted to ask, but she lost her nerve and pointed at the cup in her hand.

“So, Brits really do drink tea all the time then?”

“Not all of us, but many. But if you had Camila brewing you her mother's sweet tea you would drink it all the time, too. Here, try it.”

She held out her the cup and Ava took it, their fingers brushing. She hastily brought it to her mouth, absolutely not thinking about how her lips were where Beatrice's had just been.

Her eyes widened.

“Holy shit, this is amazing!”

Beatrice smiled and nodded. But just then Ava remembered something.

“Shit! I forgot your clothes!”

Beatrice looked amused. “But you couldn't know we were coming down here.”  
“Oh. Right,” Ava blushed. “Well, sorry anyway.”

Nervously, she gripped Rambo more tightly to herself.

“So, what are your plans now? Going to anlazye the shit out of us?”

“Actually, I thought about exploring your grounds a little more.”

“Anything in particular?”

Beatrice hesitated, glancing at her worriedly.

“Actually... I wanted to visit your Snakewood Tree.”

That took Ava by surprise. “Oh.”

Beatrice was quick to take a step forward.

“I'm sorry, I don't mean to be noisy. But it seems like it is an extraordinary place and I would like to see it with my own eyes.”

Ava nodded. She didn't know what to say. But her mouth, like so many times, apparently had its own mind.

“Do you want, um, a guide?”

“A guide?”

“I mean, I think it's safe to say you won't find someone better. I'm pretty much part of the thing! Like a pretty big extended family twig.”

She laughed and Beatrice looked both touched and hesitant.

“That's very kind of you to offer. But I don't want you to be uncomfortable. It must be a... difficult place for you.”

Ava shrugged. “I come there myself a lot, actually. It helps me think.”

Beatrice searched her face and she tried her best to return her gaze evenly.

“But you have training?” the Hogwarts girl said finally, a little sadly.

“We have a two-parter today. Shannon and Mary want to do some analysis before we start with the second half. Think I can meet you there in an hour if you want?”  
Beatrice smiled, and this time it was sure and, dare she say it, happy.

“Thank you. Then I look very much forward to it.”

Shannon whistled.

“Okay, gotta go. I see you then!”

Ava quickly patted Beatrice arm, then jumped onto Rambo and flew into the air, not daring to look back at Beatrice. Her heart was pounding. So, they had a date. Not a date, of course, just a friendly sightseeing meet-up. Just the two of them.

Mary flew over to her and strongly nudged her in the side.

“Not bad, baddass”, she grinned. “Second day and you've already scored a date with the enemy.”

Ava took a deep breath, ready to deny anything. Then she turned to Mary with a quiet voice.

“Can I talk to you and Shannon later? After training?”

Mary smiled, raising her eyebrows. “And after your date, you mean?”

Ava felt herself slowly smile back lopsidedly.

“Yeah. After that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we have a round of applause for Rambo the broom, because I love him :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fateful moment at the snakewood tree.

The sun was already beginning to set when Ava steered Rambo through the golden Mist of Mount Greylock from the Quidditch Pitch to Snakewood Peak.

“Tell me Rambo,” she sighed and looked at the familiar old wood of her broom. “Why did I ask to meet her when I'm sweaty and a mess right after training? Who does that?”

Rambo just squeaked in the wind and Ava nodded self-deprecatingly in agreement..

Quickly, the peak came into view – as always Ava was moved deeply when she saw the place in which she had regained control of her body and her magic. The spiry tree stood mighty in the mist and like always it almost seemed like it moved on its own, the branches winding around each other like real snakes. And a few yards away, at the bottom of the path leading up to the tree, sat Beatrice. Her view moved Ava altogether differently.

She landed softly in the high grass and Beatrice didn't notice. She sat cross legged on one of the stones at the beginning of the path and her eyes were closed, her breath even. Ava realized she was meditating and allowed herself a moment to look at the girl in awe. Her beautiful face was peaceful and relaxed and she could count all the freckles around her eyes. For the first time she was not wearing her school uniforms but an old and worn hooded jacket over loose pants. She looked... softer. Ava found herself imagining what Beatrice had looked like as a child; she pictured her, a curious, well behaved girl, with the same dark intelligent eyes and a mirad of freckles over her face. She pictured her less ordered, freer... less burdened.

In this moment Beatrice opened her eyes and they turned very soft.

“Ava.”

“Beatrice.” She walked over to her, self-consciously pulling at her damp Quidditch sweater. “Were you – meditating?”

Beatrice nodded. “It helps me ground my mind.” She looked up at the Snakewood Tree thoughtfully. “This is a spiritual place.”

Ava stopped before her and leaned onto Rambo. “I couldn't do that. Not after so many years of.. well, you know.”

Beatrice turned to look at her and stepped closer, laying a warm hand on her shoulder.

“Ava, I truly appreciate you wanting to show me the tree. But if it – if it unsettles you, I really shouldn't be the reason you put yourself through that.”

Ava blinked. “No, I- I think I want to show you.”

“If you're sure.”

Beatrice was beautiful. But the care and sensitivity she showed for her at any moment despite only knowing her for two days was the most attractive thing Ava had ever experienced. As they started to ascend the winded path to the Tree she thought back to the many hours watching TV back in the orphanage – how she had started to find the boys in the soaps attractive. And then how she had found herself finding the girls attractive, too, but pushing that away because the last thing she had needed was one other thing that marked her out as different. She never once had thought it to be something unnatural - laying in a bed with a TV as the only window into the world had made Ava compassionate to all the other people in the world who were shunned like her, albeit for different reasons. But since the idea of ever dating had been absurd and heartbreaking for her anyway, there really had been no reason for her to address why she never could tear her eyes away from Carmen Cortez in Spy kids as a little girl and later Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of The Caribbean. And when dating finally had been an option, like so many other things, well there had been JC and that was that for a while. But being around Shannon and Mary... seeing their unshakable love and trust and loyalty towards another – Ava couldn't even think about the side note that they were two girls. All she knew was that she wanted what they had.

There had been that one drunken time that she and Chanel had made out at a party in the Thunderbird common room. It had been hot, fun and people had yowled around them. But it hadn't touched her heart. They had never spoken about it and Ava hadn't really thought about it much, either. And now?  
She watched Beatrice out of the corner of her eyes as they came to a halt in front of the tree, her fine features intent with concentration.

Her, she couldn't stop thinking about.

Ava cleared her throat and spread out her arms.

“Here we are,” she announced happily. “Beatrice, meet the Snakewood Tree. Snakewood Tree, meet Beatrice.”

Beatrice smiled and shook her head in endearment. “It's magnificent. Do you know how old it is?”  
“Um,” Ava rummaged in her brain, “About four hundred years, I think.”

“Am I allowed to touch it?”

Holy shit. Who knew how sexy consideration could be, especially in that accent.

“Yeah. You can touch it.”

Slowly, Beatrice closed the distance and regarded the tree for a while, carefully circling it, almost like she was looking for something. Then she brought her hand to the trunk, touched it gently and closed her eyes. She became very still. After a moment, Ava joined her. She trailed her hand down the bark next to Beatrice's hand languidly. _Hello, old friend._

“This is where your father has put you, isn't it?”

Ava whipped around so fast that her hand scraped over the sharp-edged bark and drew blood.

“Shit!” she exclaimed, holding her bleeding hand and looking up at Beatrice with wide eyes.

“How the fuck do you know that?” Ava knew she was being harsh but she was freaking out. She took a step back from Beatrice, who raised her hands, her eyes apologetic.

“Ava... shhsh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Here, let me -”

“No.” Ava hid her hand behind her back, eyes wild.

Beatrice stopped immediately. She took a step back, her gaze jumping all over her and Ava wanted to run, but found she couldn't.

“Why are you afraid?” Beatrice finally asked quietly, hurt and worry in her eyes.

All Ava could do was stand there, trembling, her hand pulsing.

“You need not be afraid of me, Ava. I should not have spoken so carelessly. Forgive me.”

She reached out to her carefully. “Can I look at your hand? I can heal it if you like.”

Ava took a deep, rattling breath. “You're going to freak out.”

“I swear to God I won't.”

It was said with utmost sincerity.

Ava closed her eyes and held out her hand.

She could hear Beatrice gasping. She knew that the other girl was seeing what she was feeling, how the bleeding cut was beginning to close, how her flesh was healing itself.

“Now you know why they call me a freak,” she huffed, bitterly.

Her eyes flew open when calloused fingers tenderly closed around her palm.

Beatrice was cradling her injured hand in hers but looking straight at her, her eyes wondrous and vibrant.

“I don't. It's... you're marvelous, Ava.”

Ava shuddered, suffused with feelings. But there was still something banging at her clouded mind.

“How did you know this was where my father laid me down?”

Beatrice hands closed around her own.

“The energy... the magic you emanate is strong, Ava. I felt it the first time I saw you. And even here... even next to this ancient presence I can still feel it, as clearly as I feel your hand in my own.”

Ava frowned, not understanding. Now Beatrice took a deep breath.

“Powerful magic leaves traces, Ava. It is seldom taught anymore how to see them, feel them around us, but it can be learned.”

Ava tried to wrap her mind around that information.

“Where did you? Learn it, I mean?”

Sadness crept into Beatrice's gaze. “My parents made me learn many things. And it is what I do; I study. It's what I'm best for.”

Best _for._ Not _at_. Ava frowned.

“I don't want to be studied. I'm sick of people wanting to.”

“I don't. I swear. I... I just want to know you.”

Ava searched her face deeply, took in the fear and earnest in her gaze.

“Do you mean that?” she breathed.

The smallest of smiles hushed over Beatrice's face, her eyes as honest as anything Ava had ever seen.

“You know I do.”

It made Ava breathless. This was all to much and way too little. She wanted to withdraw and she wanted to get closer. She decided to kill two birds with one stone.

“I can do more.”

“You don't have to show me-”

Beatrice gasped loudly when Ava started glowing and with a grin phased right through her.

She had always liked the feeling of phasing through people. It was a ticklish buzz but she never did it to anyone but to Mary, who found it hilarious.

Now she proudly turned around at a startled Beatrice, who had only now found her again. For a moment the girl stared at her and then she laughed, her eyes shining with curiosity. Not a trace of fear.

“You can phase through solid matter?”

“Yup. It's pretty... solid.” She couldn't help it and when Beatrice smiled even more she grinned triumphantly. The cut on her hand was now almost fully healed and she held out her hands and gave a mock bow.

“Can you do it with any material?”

“Any material, as much as I want. Want to see it again?”

Beatrice nodded. “Please.”

Ava grinned and started to charge right at her. But just inches before her, when she called on the snakewood magic in her blood to phase, all she could see clearly was the affection in Beatrice's eyes, brighter and clearer than anything around her. She opened her mouth – and crashed right into her, solid impact of two solid bodies, head knocking into head, and they flew down to the ground.

Beatrice landed with a groan in the grass, Ava right on top of her.

“Ow, shit, I'm sorry, are you okay? That usually doesn't happy anymore, I don't know what-”

She paused as she pushed herself up, realizing her face was hovering just a breath away from Beatrice's. Who was staring back at her. Her eyes, always gentle and collected, suddenly dark and burning.

“I'm alright,” she whispered, her voice raspy and it send a a rush of heat downward Ava's body.

Ava realized both her hands were around Beatrice's upper arms, and she could feel her taut muscles beneath her fingers, warm and solid.

Neither of them moved away, the fall wind and leafs and their heavy breathing filling the silence.

Ava was naturally energetic and being around the Snakewood tree had always amplified that. But this? This was different. She was brimming, aching and hungry.

A small part of her brain said that this was too quick, too sudden but what even was sudden to her?Ava had spent ten years of her life trapped in her own body and wanting to touch and touching Beatrice? It might just be the best thing she ever felt.

She lowered her head even more and their foreheads pushed together.

Beatrice drew in a sharp breath.

“Ava..”

It sounded like a prayer.

Ava closed the last distance between them and claimed Beatrice's lips hungrily.

When they met Beatrice moaned, shakingly, almost fearfully. But then her strong arms moved around Ava's back, pressing her close to her and their kiss deepened.

_So this was what kissing was supposed to feel like._

It was like Ava's body had become a flame and Beatrice's too, their bodies entwining in ever increasing heat. Beatrice kissed her again and again and she matched her need eagerly.

Ava's hands grasped her face, her soft hair, loosening the tight knot it was in and tearing it open.

Then she roamed them down her sides again and just when she had reached her waist, Beatrice angled her legs upwards, wrapping them around Ava's body and suddenly Ava was pressed right to her center and with a sound of surprise and a rush of heat her hands slipped underneath Beatrice's sweater and touched heated skin.

Beatrice shuddered violently and tore away from her lips with a gasp.

Both of their eyes opened and for a moment they remained frozen in this position, both of them panting heavily into each others faces. Ava's hands flattened on the rapidly rising muscles of Beatrice's stomach and she could feel goosebumps beneath her skin, sending sparks to her core. Then the panic set in Beatrice's eyes.

She startled upwards, throwing Ava to the side, stumbling backwards.

Ava landed face first in the grass and groaned

“What the-”

“I'm sorry!” Beatrice panted, kneeling down as if to reach out and help her up, but then she tore away again, jumping on unsteady legs. “I'm- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let that – I don't know what happened.”

Ava looked at her though leafs of grass, took in her panic-stricken face. Slowly, as not to startle her, she got up to her knees.

“Beatrice... I think you know exactly what just happened.”

Beatrice froze again. The fear that was was painfully obvious in the gifted girl's face was killing Ava.

“Ava, I – I can't.”

“Why not?”

“My parents,” Beatrice burst out. She looked pained and freighted. “My family, they -”

Ava's blood turned to ice.

“What? They wouldn't want their daughter making out with a freak?”

That seemed to break Beatrice's panic for a moment.

“What? No, _no_ Ava, you are _not_ a freak. I promise you. This has nothing to do with your gifts.”

“What then?!” Ava demanded.

And then the quaffle dropped. Her mouth fell slack.

“Because I'm a _girl_?”

Tears sprung into Beatrice eyes. She closed them tightly and closed her hands into fists.

“Yes,” she pressed out.

The wind picked up and the Snakewood tree stirred.

Ava remained kneeling, staring up at Beatrice, who was clearly fighting for her composure. And Ava could _see_ it, Beatrice's strong body, cruelly bent into it's own prison, not by an accident, but by her no doubt horrible parents.

She nodded, almost numb from anger.

“Beatrice,” she whispered. “You said there's nothing wrong with me because of my powers. But there is because I like you?”  
Beatrice sobbed now, soundlessly, and it broke her heart.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Ava. It's... _me_. _I_ can't be this. _I_ can't do this.”

Now Ava felt her own tears filling her eyes, clouding her view of the tortured girl standing before her.

Beatrice held out her hand to her.

“I'm sorry, Ava. I truly am.”

Then, with what looked like a violent effort, she turned around and started to run, down the path of the Snakewood Tree and dissapearing in the mist.

***

An hour later both Shanon and Mary startled when Ava pushed open the door to their favorite little abandoned classroom. They both took one look at Ava's cold and disheveled form, the leafs in her hair and the tears in her eyes and then Shannon flew forward and closed her arms around her tightly and Ava leaned into her, finally allowing herself to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't originally plan for them to kiss at the Snakewood tree but as it happens, the writing took on a life on its own and it felt natural. This Ava has had more time to adjust to life and this Beatrice has sworn no vows after all - personally I'm verry happy with it but I would love to know what you think :) Also sorry for the sad ending... but jay for a Christmas update? Haha, they will get there, our lovelies, no worries. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas time, be safe and and enjoy it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited Quidditch game, a secret, and the showdown of two very different seekers who are very much in love with each other.

The morning of the game, Ava was studying the engraving of the Ilvermorny plates with dull eyes, fully aware of Shannon's worried gaze on her. Just as she knew without looking there was a frown on Mary''s face when the chaser arrived and sat next to her girlfriend.

“She not eating?“

“Oh, she ate three sandwiches...“

“Good as nothing for her. Hey, bad-ass.“

She kicked her unkindly in the shin and Ava finally looked up to glare at her. Marry was leaning forward onto her hands, looking like the generals in the movies when they made important speeches.

“Listen. I know you're hurtin right now and that it sucks. But I also know that this is the first ever game between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny and that you don't want to be the looser who lost it anymore than I do. Do you?“

Ava pouted. “No,“ she finally allowed reluctantly.

“Well, good, because I'm not loosing against that psycho Crimson or in front of that Angus jerk and neither will you.“ She briefly glanced to the table Ava had fastidiously attempted not to look at for the past twenty minutes, before the older girl's eyes softened. “Look, if she doesn't talk to you by tomorrow I'll kick her ass myself. But until then I need you to get yours back to earth, so you can get it on that Rambo broom of yours and do your crazy flying, wooing all the boys and girls. Okay?“

At that a small grin appeared on Ava's lips.

“Okay.“

But nothing had been okay since panic had replaced happiness and desire in Beatrice's eyes by the Snakewood tree. Shannon had given her a whole lecture after Ava had cried her eyes out, on how deeply the pure-blooded families of Great Britain were still steeped into the dark ages morally, even worse than the American ones like Lilith's family. She had reasoned that Beatrice had probably experienced horrible retaliation from her parents at her sexuality from what it sounded like and that surely she had suppressed it a long time and how overwhelming her feelings for Ava must be for her.

“I've known her for a few days, Shannon.“

Mary had nudged her arm. “Well you do have a way of breaking down barriers.“

At that Ava had to cry again. Shannon had said to give her time, that together with her obviously painful relationship to her sexuality, Beatrice had the weight of the Quidditch game resting on her. And Ava could understand that, really. But when she had walked into the hall and Beatrice had immediately turned to the entrance, as if she had sensed her entering – Ava had felt it like a physical blow when the girl had blankly glanced away again. She had watched her at her table, the center of the Hogwarts team, acting all captainly; she was addressing questions calmly, giving out ensuring nods all over and listening to her teammates raptly. But there was something missing about her, something Ava had seen immediately, no matter how much Beatrice may try to hide it behind her controlled exterior. Her warmth,, the warmth that Ava had been so close to, pressed against, was amiss now and in it's absence Ava felt cold and hurt. Beatrice still hadn't looked at her again.

Just then, however, Camila was glancing over to her and Ava quickly redirected her gaze onto the plates. She felt Lilith sliding next to her, and unlike the others the tall girl didn't comment on her obviously poor state. She was filling her plate meticulously, then grabbing her cutlery in that well mannered way of hers. Finally she paused and said dryly: “I do want to see if her fancy flying has any chance against my double swing“ and Ava bumped their shoulders together, because for Lilith that was a declaration of love.

***

And before they knew it, they had made their way into the changing cabins of the Quidditch field, hundreds of students already filling the standings, singing clumsily adapted hymns, for all the songs were usually house specific. The sky was dark and cloudy and of course it would rain today. Ava slipped into her Quidditch robes quickly before making sure that none of her teammates were looking and slinking away to the long forgotten broom closet in a nook at the end of the cabins, where Lilith was lurking in the shadows, looking at her expectantly.

“All clear,“ Ava whispered, mustering the best imitation of her usual smile for the girl. Lilith just nodded curtly, before she began changing into her robes. Ava didn't mind not getting thanks, she got it. In fact in this way Lilith and her were the only ones who could truly get each other and that counted for a lot; Ava knew she was grateful.

A sudden loud plop tore her out of her thoughts and she shrieked when Camilla apparated out of thin air before her.

“Holy shit!“

“I'm sorry!“ Camila apologized earnestly, before she looked around herself with a happy grin.

“Wow, so Bea was right – you _can_ apparate within Ilvermorny! How cool! But also, isn't this dangerous?“

But then her eyes fell onto Lilith behind Ava and Ava quickly jumped to block her view but it was too late; Lilith was still topless and by the widening of her eyes Camila clearly had seen what no one was supposed to see.

Camila stammered. “I- I'm sorry. I was only looking for Ava. I didn't mean to-“

Within a second Lilith had darted forward, grabbing Camila in an unforgiving grasp.

“If you tell. _Anyone._ What you have seen. I swear you will regret it.“

Camila to her great credit did not look afraid but genuinely dismayed.

“I'm sorry, Lilith. I would never. You have nothing to be ash-“

Lilith shoved her away, storming off into the general cabins. Ava and Camila blinked at each other at loss.

“You really can't tell anyone,“ Ava whispered finally. “She's not... out, and her family wouldn't – they probably wouldn't deal with it very well. So it can't get out and you can't tell anyone, especially not... Beatrice.“ Her eyes lowered and her voice broke at the name.

Camila grabbed her arm. “Apart from the fact that I'm not even sure what i have seen – I would never tattle on anything like this. And you know Bea wouldn't either.“  
“Do I ?“ Ava asked, somewhat bitterly.

Camilla looked genuinely crestfallen at her words. She quickly looked over her shoulders as if to ensure they were alone, then grabbed Ava's arm.

“Ava... it's not any of my business and Bea hasn't told me everything. But believe me, she didn't mean to hurt you. She was so upset when she came back after your... talk, and so worried about you. Ava, you must understand Beatrice is very brave; but she had to be brave for years and years and her community, her family, they are unforgiving. She tries her best and is the best at anything she does, but it is only this one thing they see and do not want to see.“

Ava blinked at the concerned girl, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in understanding.

“You... know?“  
Camila smiled sadly. “I read between the lines. And if I hadn't... the way she looks at you is hard to misunderstand.“  
Ava gulped, her heart squeezing at the sweet girl's words. Nervously, she brushed her hair out of her eyes. “So, uh, what do you suggest I do? I don't want to scare her. And I'm not sure she even wants me around anymore, she sounded pretty final. And you guys leave so soon and I'm really not sure-“  
Camila silenced her by clasping both her hands in hers.

“I can't tell you what to do. And I understand if it's all too much for you. But I'm sure that if you tried talking to her again, Bea would open up to you. She's so brave; but with this I think she needs someone special to help her be brave.“  
They locked eyes, Ava's disbelieving, and then touched by the warm certainty in Camila's.

“LET'S GET A MOVE ON, AVA!“ Mary shouted from the rooms and Camilla let go of her hands.

“Ups, I think we both need to go! Please think about it Ava... and good luck! I'll go easy on you.“ The last part was said as sweetly as ever by the Hufflepuff girl but the expert twirl she did with the bat she had suddenly produced was more than unsettling. And then, with a poof, she was gone.

Ava blinked. It suddenly occurred to her that Camila had apparated right into a shady little corner she couldn't have possibly known Ava was in.

“Son of a-“

***

A canon went off and the Hogwarts and Ilvermorny teams shot from the tunnels onto the Quidditch pitch to roaring applause. As always, for a moment all of Ava's worries dissapeared and made room for the sheer joy of flying a broom amidst her team, going from darkness into the light of the pitch, rainy light though it may be, for the skies had opened now and it was pouring down. The teams were circling the the pitch in formation, led by Shannon and Beatrice, both raising their fists to the cheering of their schoolmates. Then came the moment the two formations met; Ava zoned in on Beatrice through the rain and for a moment it was as though time stilled. Beatrice, proud and straight on her broom, leading her team and looking like a glorious warrior. Ava gulped and Rambo shook a little bit, or maybe it was her, who could tell. Then the moment passed and the teams went into position on their respective half of the field.

Ava forced her eyes away from Beatrice and nearly fell of her broom when she spotted the umpire below them. She glared at Shannon. “Was anyone going to tell me that _Victor Krum_ is going to officiate our game?!“

Shannon grinned and shouted: “I thought the adrenaline of that might give you a boost!“

Mary laughed dryly. Unbelievable! Ava scoffed but was quick to look back down at the Quidditch legend. Back when Lilith had gotten her into Quidditch, the two of them had watched films of Krum for hours so Ava could study his daring flight maneuvers. Shannon sometimes even blamed Lilith for that, wagering that it was that early influence that had turned Ava into the 'stupid daredevil' she was. Ava now was fully determined to show the old timer an updated version of his flying book – provided she got the chance.

This being the first ever Quidditch game between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny, of course there had to be some ceremony. After both Head mistresses gave speeches, it was time for music. The Ilvermornies were first and Ava sang the words of their hymn passionately though a bit falsely. Especially the ending of their song resonated with her and she sang that part the loudest:

_Where'er we roam_

_Where'er we roam_

_Our one true home_

_Our one and own_

_Is Ilvermorny dear!_

A trumpet ended the hymn and the Ilvermornies cheered and whooped. The Hogwarts students clapped politely. And then it was the Hogwarts school's turn. Ava straightened expectantly on Rambo, imagining a roaring, imperial song like God save the queen to come their way. The Hogwarts part of the crowd opened their mouths:

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please!_

_Whether we be old and bald,_

_Or young with scabby knees_

“What the actual _fuck_ ,“ whispered Mary. Some players snickered while Ava leaned on her broom with disappointment, watching Camila happily sing:  
  
 _Our heads could do with filling,_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff_

While Camila was truly feeling the song Beatrice sang the strange lines dutifully. An embarrassed silence swept over the Ilvermorny crowd.

“Pathetic,“ Lilith commented with a smirk and Shannon shushed her while clearly struggling to hold back her laughter.

This hymn too was ended with the sound of a trumpet and with a bit of a delay the Ilvermornies acknowledged it with confused rounds of subdued applause. Everyone's gaze now turned to Victor Krum, who looked a bit miffed as well and Ava wondered if he had had to hear the... _song..._ before.

“Vell,“ he started with a thick accent. “That vas lovely.“

He started into a short and concise speech about the importance of international relations starting between young wizards, citing his remaining close friendship with his former Triwizard rival Fleur Delacour and her wife, Hermione Granger. Ava turned excitedly to Mary. “Hermione Granger is married to a woman?“

“Yeah. She's really pretty, too.“

But then it was finally time.

Victor Krum bowed down to the chest at his feet and the bludgers and snitch were released, before he threw the quaffle in the air and blew his whistle.

The game was on.

The usual squabble of Quidditch players falling over themselves to get control of the balls cut of Ava's sight of the snitch. In a classic move she steered Rambo upward, above the pitch to hopefully be able to spy the snitch. But as soon as she brought Rambo back into the horizontal she was met with the sight of Beatrice, who had done the same. The two seekers stared at each other, the air between them heavy as they took each other in properly for the first time since their kiss. Beatrice looked so good in the white trousers and the leather padding, her composure strong and controlled as always. But this close Ava could also see the dark rings beneath Beatrice's eyes. She swallowed.

“In America at this stage seekers usually exchange barbs now,“ she tried to quip.

Beatrice's face remained stony.

“That is not usually my style. But I do look forward to see your flying.“

Her cold politeness stung. Ava bit her lip, the kiss, Beatrice's tears and Camila's words heavy in her mind. But she was also scared, and unsure.

“Well, they say I cut a pretty good figure flying so you should.“

This kind of confidence came easy to her, easy to mask her insecurity. Beatrice smiled at her words and for a brief moment it looked genuine before sadness drew over it like a shadow.

She grabbed her broom with both hands.

“Good luck.“

And then she darted off, starting her round over the pitch looking for the snitch.

Ava cursed and started to do the same in the opposite direction.

That was not how she had envisioned their first conversation after their kiss to go. Then again she had also not envisioned it twenty feet high in the air but that was her life for you.

Suddenly, the quaffle appeared next to her, apparently having been thrown up so high in a desperate attempt to keep it from the rival team. By the rules Ava was not allowed to touch it bodily. She grinned and daringly pointed Rambo straight down onto the field, stopping the ascend of the quaffle with Rambo's bushy tail, before hitting it in the direction of Mary, who caught it with a proud grin.

“Thanks kid!“ And off she went to the rings and scored a beautiful clear goal.

The Ilvermornies roared as the speaker announced the first goal.

Ava raised her arm in triumph as they went on how she was an active kind of seeker, often participating in the rest of the game. Flattered, Ava looked away, trying to look cool and nonchalant, just to see Beatrice not too far away, looking at her intently, before making a sharp departure in the opposite direction.

Ava's eye narrowed. She hated this. A week. A week in which Beatrice had royally stepped into her life, seeking her company at every opportunity and now she flew away from her as though she had a dementor on her tail. A grim determination rose in Ava as she continued her rounds in search of the snitch. She wasn't going to let this fly, Beatrice's stupid pure blood parents be damned. She wouldn't let Beatrice be this afraid. A bludger flew her way and Ava evaded it narrowly. When she looked down she saw Camila looking up at her apologetically.

The game went on, the lead being passed regularly. Both teams truly had a top tier of players and the Hogwarts students had some mean chasers.

But then!

Ava spotted Beatrice throwing herself into a sudden dive, her dark eyes fixed on something determinedly; Ava didn't even try to make it out, for she knew – Beatrice had spotted the snitch! She sped Rambo forward, following the other seeker.

Ava was smaller and lighter than Beatrice and while Rambo didn't look anywhere near as fancy as the British girl's broom, Mary's and Shannon's spells had done wonders. She was soaked with rain but so was Beatrice. Quickly, Ava was tailing just behind her, while the crowd leaned forward, a general excitement spreading in _ohhs_ and _ahhs_. But then, just when they were nearing the ground, Beatrice disrupted her decent so sharply Ava swore she could hear her broom groan and in an elegant roll Beatrice turned herself around. For a breath of a moment they were flying towards each other, Beatrice's face wild and free... and then she was gone. Ava had no choice but to do a sharp break, coming to halt just centimeters above the ground, cursing loudly. She looked around frantically through the rain. Where was Beatrice? Where was the snitch?  
Finally, she spotted Beatrice flying by one of the audience towers, he arm stretched forward and a golden blur flying before her. She was far from where Ava was and Ava's mouth dropped in realization.

Had Beatrice _feinted_ her?

“The fuck, Beatrice!“  
Ava touched the ground with her feet and pushed herself off with all her might, catapulting herself in the opposite direction of where Beatrice was flying. It was rare that seekers feinted when they spotted the snitch, for when you did it could mean loosing sight of the little bastard. Only seekers who could calculate the current course and mood of the snitch could dare to it and _of course_ Beatrice was one of them. But now Beatrice was chasing the snitch, meaning _Ava_ could predict the course now.

And so it came that they were flying towards each other in full collision course, the snitch between them. Both of them had their right arms outstretched, their fingers grasping-

the snitch panicked and promptly pummeled in direction of the ground, this time for real.

And it was nearly impossible to avoid collision now, but -

Beatrice leaned back on her broom, nearly lying flat on it, somehow not falling off in an astonishing display of balance, as Ava barreled over her.

And god, did she look _hot_ doing it.

Ava shook her head to free it from the picture of the actual damn goddess, before she took pursuit of Beatrice, who now was following the snitch in a a dangerously fast decent.

“No, no, no, no, no! Come on, Rambo!“

She nearly squatted on her broom's tip, pushing all her weight into gravity.

The snitch was nearing the ground in a straight line, Beatrice would have an easy catch – but at the last minute it veered to the right.

Beatrice did something that Ava would later describe as broom-breakdance and pushed herself sideways in a sort of horizontal one-handed handstand and reached for the golden winged ball... and Ava jumped.

Their fingers closed around each other and the snitch and then they crashed to the ground together, rolling over each other a few times before Ava finally landed on her back, hard. Beatrice fell right on top of her – _right_ on top of her. Ava didn't think it was only the landing that pushed the air out of her lungs and she gasped as Beatrice's body was pressed into hers, their hands, clasping a fighting snitch desperately, squished between their breasts, and _whoa_.

Ava felt her blood rush to her cheeks when she realized exactly what her hand was brushing. The roars of the audience were like white noise around them and there was also an annoying bleep in her ear that Ava was pretty sure had no business being there.

Both of them were soaked to the bone and through the cold fabrics Ava could feel the heat of Beatrice's body all the more. For a brief moment, Beatrice lifted her head and they stared at each other, just as close as they had been at the Snakewood tree, only this time reversed. Beatrice looked wild, her cheeks were flushed and her hair, always so controlled, was disheveled by the wind and rain, wet strands clinging to her face. She was breathing heavily and she had never looked so beautiful. Quidditch be damned, Ava wanted to kiss her again, right here, right now. Beatrice's thoughts seemed to steer into the same reaction, for her eyes fell down to Ava's lips. But then she tried to shrink back again, Ava feeling how she started to remove her arm from between them, pulling at the snitch.

Ava made a decision and promptly slung both her legs and free arm around Beatrice, hanging on for dear life. Beatrice gasped.

“Ava!“

“Huh?“

Beatrice's face was now squished into her neck and Ava could _hear_ how the other girl licked her lips, could feel her rapidly rising chest. Her knees went weak at all the sensations, but she resolved and continued clinging to Beatrice like a koala.

“One of us has to let go. The game can't end like this.“

“Why not? I'm pretty sure we both caught it at the same time.“

“You jumped at me!“

“You feinted me. It's the kind of dirty that's allowed.“

Ava could feel Beatrice's face heat up even more at that and she grinned. Suddenly, she just felt happy, happy to hold Beatrice close in the rain, happy to hear their hearts drumming away together. The snitch was fighting less and less, like it was resolved to being trapped between the two seekers' bodies.

Vaguely, she registered that teachers and players had started to gather around them.

“This is outrageous!“ Professor McGonagall complained in her delightful Scottish accent.

“Miss Winston caught the snitch first. Miss Silva should let go.“

“It seemed to me your seeker reached the snitch first but that they both caught it,“ the superion countered.

McGonagall gave an indignant sound.

“Winston, which one of you is currently holding the snitch?“

Ava held her breath. She could both hear and feel Beatrice sigh, which pushed their chests closer together.

“Both of us, Professor.“

A loud squabble started, professors and teachers and Quidditch players screaming over each other. Ava could see Victor Krum putting his nose into a huge tomb, probably the Quidditch rules. She closed her eyes and pushed her face closer to Beatrice's. Their cheeks brushed together and Beatrice's breath turned shaky.

“Ava,“ she whispered. “Please let go.“

Ava tightened her arms around her in response, her lips grazing her skin.

“No. I'm staying with you.“

A loud whistle broke though the chaos and Victor Krum raised his arm.

“It's a draw!“

The whole pitch erupted into one gigantic outcry but Ava only noticed that Beatrice's hand, wrought so tightly around her own, fell slack. With a deep, soulful sigh Beatrice finally relaxed against Ava, her face nudging into her neck, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her. And Ava held her gently, lips drawing into a peaceful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, what do we think? Yes in my world Hermione and Fleur are happily married^^ My very first long fanfiction I ever wrote was about them actually and I still hope to finish it one day.  
> What is Lilith's secret? What did you think of the game? Let me know your thoughts:)


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